On November 9th 100% Silk is set to release SILK109, the eight track Dream Operator album by Manchester based producer Olsen. The Los Angeles label, specializing in releases cloaked in hiss and nostalgia since 2011, has appropriately stocked a bundle of off-white cassettes for the producer’s label debut. Olsen (Andrew Anderton) fits well within the roster which has featured artists such as The Cyclist, Jupiter Jax and Octo Octa amongst others.Coming off of a four track vinyl release on Mister Saturday Night earlier this year, Anderton spent the summer creating a compilation of house tracks he described as “swampy weirdness.” With layers of synths, samples and ambient noise serving as the bed of sound, Dream Operator is equal parts warm and chilling. Calming the listener with its melodies while maintaining a subtle edge of ambiguity in its sound design, the record has been dubbed as “miasma-house” by 100% Silk.“After Glow,” the third track of side one, is no exception to this description. With a consistent tape hiss settled underneath, the kick drum chugs along adding subtle variations from the start. As a ping-ponged hi-hat pattern swings from left to right, a set of lazy jazz chords are introduced with additional keyboard melodies serving as the perfect compliment as more layers are introduced at the end of the sequence.
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Everything seems to be dripping in tape delay and reverb, creating space for the bassline to wander about, drifting in and out of one ear with consistent variations and fills as more percussive elements arrive. A simple vocal sample rides beneath the structure, drenched in delays and hiss, perfectly complimenting the warmth of the melodies with its hazy mysterious tone. With its meandering melodies and bassline, “After Glow” is reminiscent of Selected Ambient Works while also staying true to the warbled features of lo-fi trends today. A fitting fall record, Dream Operator is both reflective and forward, preparing one’s senses for the coming winter while also looking back at the year that was.
Nicholas
